How to Clean your Garage over the Weekend

What is the reason why you can’t get your garage cleaned and organized? Is it the time it takes to organize it or is the daunting task of cleaning the garage too daunting? There are simple tasks that you and your family can do to help tackle your garage. Once your garage is organized, you may be able to park your cars, and have storage area at the same time. Look at these helpful ways to clean your garage over the weekend, and help you find those suitcases that you lost last year!

Have a garage sale: Whether you hold an actual garage sale, or if you sell items through the classifieds, your garage most likely contains items you don’t need. Spend one weekend analyzing what is in your garage, and group items in three areas: 1.) Items needed 2.)Items you don’t need/use 3.) Give away items. The items that you don’t need should be thrown away if they’re in disrepair. For items you don’t need and can give away, give to charity, sell, or donate to friends and family.

Measure your space: Once you have purged, determine how much space you have after your cars are parked inside. A good guideline is to draw an imaginary line from the garage door opening to the back wall of your garage. Your storage and belongings shouldn’t go over this ‘line’. Once you measure out your space, measure vertically how much floor to ceiling space you have. Overhead and vertical storage is the secret to holding more in your garage.

Determine your budget: Similarly to your house, the sky is the limit when it comes to garage organization. Decide if you want to hire a professional garage organizer that can outfit your space with cabinetry, storage and shelving or if you would prefer to do it yourself. If you choose to do it yourself you can save money, and you can opt for lower cost open wire shelving and overhead storage.

Customize storage by your belongings: If your household has more sports equipment than boxed storage, you may opt for open metal shelving to hold bins of sports accessories and hanging hooks for fishing rods, skis, and snowboards. While if you have moved from a few houses, boxes and storage bins may be your main culprit of space. Maximize vertical space by measuring heights of storage bins and installing shelving this distance from the ceiling.

Save time and space: If you have large lawn equipment and accessories that take up too much room, consider buying a tool shed that can be housed in your backyard. This will help save time when rummaging through storage boxes and will save valuable space for other items. Your garage should have all items easy to see, reach and access quickly and without falling over.

Buy storage supplies: Once you have assessed your needs, purchase clear storage bins for seasonal items that you need to see quickly. Holiday decorations and seasonal items are perfect for clear bins. Consider using stackable “banker boxes” or cardboard boxes with removable lids for papers and documents. If you live in a humid climate make sure wood, and paper items are stored inside your home and not in the garage. For smaller items consider hanging a peg board for hand held tools, extension cords, and arts and crafts items.

Your garage should be treated as an extension of your home. Therefore, the same care in cleaning and organizing you show on the interior of your home should apply to the garage. Once you have cleared out what you don’t need the organizing will be simpler, and you can tackle a new part of the garage each weekend until you have it completed. If you choose to use our garage for crafts or a woodworking area – a clean and tidy garage will be a must! Determine your needs for your garage and then make it happen.

Freshome reader’s do you use your garage for your cars or is it only for storage? Share with us your ideas on how you keep it organized, or not!